(Question about East and West) Chen Shengqian: Anatomy of the "China Threat Theory" to see what is the difference between Chinese and Western cultural genes?
China News Service, Beijing, May 16th, title: Chen Shengqian: Dissecting the "China Threat Theory" and seeing what is the difference between Chinese and Western cultural genes?
China News Agency reporter Xia Bin
Chen Shengqian.
Photo provided by me.
What is the Chinese cultural gene, and what does it have to do with today?
When this problem is bigger, it can explain China's path of peaceful development for many years; when it is smaller, it can make people consciously wear masks in the face of the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
Chen Shengqian, a professor in the Department of Archaeology, Literature and Art, Renmin University of China, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service on "Question of East and West" to explain in detail the characteristics and causes of Chinese cultural genes, and responded to many hot issues of concern to the outside world.
What is the difference between Chinese and Western cultural genes?
Chen Shengqian believes that cultural genes are neutral in most cases, and there is no inevitable good or bad. It is just that the positive effects of cultural genes can be manifested under the promotion of specific environmental conditions and people's subjective initiative.
"Cultural genes and biological genes are very different. Cultural genes can learn from each other, they are not innate."
So, what is the difference in cultural genes between China and Western countries represented by the United States?
"The cultural history of the United States is too short, and what it inherits is mainly the genes of Western culture." Chen Shengqian said that a prominent feature of American cultural genes is "belligerent", and more accurately it is "aggressive." .
Such cultural genes are positively manifested as enterprising or "savior mentality", always wanting to change the world and save the world; negatively, such as the United States has not fought for more than a dozen years in more than 200 years of history, and it is estimated that it is no better than a warlike country since ancient times.
In addition, the unique cultural genes of the United States also have technological orientation-all problems for Americans are technical problems.
Chen Shengqian stated that, for example, in the face of the war on terrorism, the United States will think of inventing better equipment and weapons to solve the problem, but anti-terrorism is not entirely a matter of military technology, it is largely related to politics.
Back to the source, China and the West are different from the beginning.
Chen Shengqian said that there are many theories about the origin of civilization in the world, which can be roughly classified into two types: one is collective-based or collectivism, and the other is individual-based or individualism.
The collective-based civilization is formed by solving the problems encountered by the group and fighting against risks together.
It can be seen that in the late Neolithic period of China, the population size and density under primitive agriculture reached an unprecedented magnitude. There were dense settlements in the swamp plains of North China and the floodplains of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
This zone is also a high-risk zone for floods. People here must have a good collective consciousness to survive.
The elites who can lead the masses emerged from the crowd, the complexity of society gradually increased, and civilization began to sprout.
Looking at the origin of Western civilization, it can be traced back at least to the ancient Greek period.
The agriculture of ancient Greece came from West Asia, mainly agriculture and animal husbandry: growing wheat, domesticating cattle and sheep.
But this agricultural structure is contradictory, and the wheat-growing land cannot raise cattle and sheep.
In contrast, prehistoric agriculture in China is characterized by self-sufficiency. Related to grain agriculture is raising pigs, raising chickens, and raising dogs. The structure of this species is complementary. The by-products of grains can feed livestock, while cattle (yellow cattle) sheep It appeared relatively late in China.
At the same time, the ancient Greek Attica Peninsula had rugged terrain and few plains and basins suitable for agriculture. However, there were many islands and maritime traffic conditions were better, so it developed a form of civilization that relied on maritime trade.
"We have seen the civilization of ancient Greece continue to expand and colonize, and commercial exchange is based on individuals, which will inevitably lead to an increase in individual awareness."
Chen Shengqian said that in this sense, ancient Greece established the individualistic cultural genes of Western civilization—continuously seeking and colonizing the outside world.
Generally speaking, in terms of cultural genes in China and the West, one is collective-based and the other is individual-based, which is actually closely related to the early production methods.
Central American flag.
Image source: Visual China
Chinese civilization has formed a shining star for more than 5,000 years to achieve integration
Hardworking, peaceful, modest, reserved, gregarious, tolerant... these are the characteristics of Chinese cultural genes summarized by Chen Shengqian.
For example, “implicit”. From the perspective of cultural landscape, Westerners show a strong preference for commanding heights and control points, but the Chinese cultural landscape always thinks of “blocking it a bit, blocking it again”, just like a courtyard house; the Chinese To write poems, subtlety is also the most basic requirement. If you say it directly, you will lose a little charm.
Chen Shengqian believes that the most precious of Chinese cultural genes is "tolerance."
The reason why China has formed an inclusive cultural gene is also a product of long-term production and life practice in history.
The origin and formation of Chinese civilization are distributed in various regions, one after another, with shining stars.
Chen Shengqian believes that archaeological materials show that there is the Liangzhu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Shijiahe culture in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River; then the Hongshan culture in northern Liaoxi and the Shimao culture in northern Shaanxi emerged.
There is a centripetal trend in the development of ancient Chinese civilization, and they all want to "compete with the Central Plains", because the radius of control of all regions is the shortest by controlling the Central Plains. In the end, they all merged into Chinese civilization.
"The process of integration is by no means an easy task. It requires repeated running-in. Therefore, the Chinese civilization has done a major task for 5000 years, which is integration." Chen Shengqian emphasized.
He further stated that the Chinese ancestors thought of all means to solve the problem of integration, because integration will definitely face conflicts, then war must be avoided, and the cost of integration must be reduced as much as possible, and then tolerance must be slowed down. Slow digestion and acceptance of this difference, so now Chinese people "feel good" about the difference.
Chen Shengqian gave an example. Taking food as an example, Beijing food is not good, you can eat Sichuan food, and Sichuan food is not good, you can eat Cantonese food. There are too many Chinese cuisines and tastes, but everyone still doesn’t have too many, it’s always I want to eat something special.
"So, Chinese civilization tolerates differences, and even appreciates differences." Chen Shengqian said, tolerance is to seek a certain part of the commonality, harmony but difference.
"As long as we have a common foundation for overall interests, the rest can be different."
Data map: Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park.
Photo by Zhang Bin
Achieving integration can be called "lucky" Chinese cultural circle has long been formed
China has completed the integration of different cultures and ethnic groups in the history of more than 5,000 years of civilization. Chen Shengqian used "lucky" to describe it.
"Why use the word lucky, because this period of history is very costly, and it is not easy to achieve."
There is a view that China's history is "inwardly scrolled" and development has stagnated since the Han Dynasty.
Chen Shengqian said bluntly, this is not a completely accurate sentence, because we have actually done a big thing, that is, we have become a super-large ethnic group recognized by more than one billion people, leaving a super-large group of people in today's world. Civilization has formed a huge market.
China has been able to develop rapidly in recent years, and the scale effect is particularly important.
Chen Shengqian said that if we trace this dividend to the source, China has paid huge costs and made huge contributions in the past few thousand years. In a sense, it is of course very lucky, because integration is not It will happen.
"Historically, we must divide for a long time, and we must unite for a long time. But for China, harmony is the main theme."
After the Han Dynasty, there were the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and there were five chaotic Hua, after the Tang Dynasty, there were five dynasties and ten kingdoms, followed by Jin, Xixia, Yuan, and Qing.
Chen Sheng said before that, in fact, capitalism sprouted in the Northern Song Dynasty. Lin'an was a world-class metropolis with a population of more than 1 million. European and Arab merchants came to Lin'an. Quanzhou was also a world-famous port at that time, and many religions were introduced from it. China is developing very prosperously.
Even in the Ming Dynasty, China was prosperous, and its commercial culture developed well. However, China must continue to face the integration of ethnic groups so that development will not be interrupted.
Chen Shengqian continued that the Qing Dynasty made a major contribution, namely the integration of the rivers and mountains in the southeastern half of China and the half of the rivers and mountains in the northwest. The long-term see-saw struggle between the grassland tribe and the farming tribe has finally achieved integration.
In fact, whether it is the Mongolians of the Yuan Dynasty or the Jurchens of the Qing Dynasty, they have a very strong identification with Han culture and the culture of the Central Plains, but this identification requires time and cost, and it will not be realized automatically.
Speaking of this, Chen Shengqian pointed out that from the perspective of Chinese culture as a whole, a cultural circle was formed very early, and it had already been formed in the prehistoric era.
Why do you say that?
For example, he said that the Hongshan civilization in the northeast of Liaoxi contributed to the culture of jade. Jade is a symbol of Chinese culture, and it was first used most fully and best in the northeast; there are also ceramics, ironware, ornaments, etc. The spread across North and South and East and West proves that Chinese culture has long come from all directions.
"Chinese culture has an interaction circle, which can also be regarded as four plates, the southeast plate, the northwest plate, the ocean plate and the ecological cross-belt plate. If China and the margins alone, the scope of Chinese civilization is too small and narrow. ."
Chen Shengqian believes that the line from Heihe to Tengchong is China's ecological crisscross zone, and in a sense is a hub of Chinese civilization. The civilizations of the northwest, southeast and the ecological crisscross zone continue to communicate.
The other is the ocean sector. A part of Chinese culture is uploaded and exported through the sea.
Data map: Tulufan Jiaoheyi·Kanerjingyuan Scenic Area presents a dance performance, welcomes group tourists.
Photo by Gou Jipeng
China threat theory? Save others with your own heart
In the past many years, a few Western countries and the media have advocated the so-called "China threat theory." Chen Shengqian believes that it is "saving the belly of others with one's own heart."
He pointed out that there were basically two forms of war in ancient China: one was internal unrest, which caused peasant uprisings due to excessive squeeze; the other was a tug-of-war mainly against farming tribes and grassland tribes, because the grassland lifestyle was not self-sufficient. It is necessary to trade with the Central Plains, and grassland culture is prevalent in looting, and it is easy to initiate war.
Even during the Han Dynasty, the expansion of the Western Regions was for strategic containment, not for external expansion and aggression.
"China had the conditions to colonize when Zheng He went to the West, but it didn't do this, didn't go to genocide people's genocide, and didn't go to occupy all their native land. Even if we emigrated there, we still live with them. , Seek common development." Chen Shengqian said.
Chen Shengqian pointed out that China's cultural genes are based on a self-sufficient small peasant economy. It is not an economic method with inherent contradictions and will not actively form conflicts. Therefore, when the economic foundation is stable, a particularly stable social structure will be formed.
"If China really becomes exactly like the West, it will be a disaster for the West." Chen Shengqian said. The philosopher Russell also mentioned in one of his book "The China Problem" that China may be the future when mankind encounters a crisis. The only hope.
Because if the Western model doesn't work, there is another model to choose from, but if there is only one model in the world, then there is no choice.
"Now China provides another development possibility for the world, especially for the third world countries as a demonstration."
Photo by Xin News Agency reporter Jia Tianyong
A community with a shared future for mankind is more in line with the trend of the times
The new crown epidemic is an examination question given to the world by the times.
"China's collective standard and the Western individual standard have been shown particularly adequately in this epidemic." Chen Shengqian said that the Western individual standard cannot restrain oneself, and freedom is above everything else. "Wearing a mask and whether you are willing to stay at home , It's all personal freedom".
But the Chinese feel that the collective and everyone's interests are above all else.
He said that one of the essence of liberalism is individualism, which is the affirmation of personal interests, so Western culture has been consistent for thousands of years; its positive aspect is that it can give full play to people's subjective initiative and explore the unknown world. It is indeed worth learning.
But today, this individual-oriented social development model in the West has lost its balance, and its drawbacks have begun to appear.
Chen Shengqian pointed out that the desires of individuals are endless. Uncontrolled grabbing will gradually deplete natural resources and sharp contradictions.
He believes that after the epidemic, emphasizing the collective standard and advocating a community with a shared future for mankind will be a relatively positive direction.
We all live on the same earth, we must have such a holistic thinking.
The Chinese understand this very well, but the West does not.
Because individualism has a big problem: it needs to sacrifice others to maintain its own interests. In the past, it was to sacrifice the colony to satisfy its own development. Later, when the colony disappeared, it can sacrifice the bottom of society when necessary and sacrifice from the inside.
Chen Shengqian pointed out that Western countries used to have a good life and monopolized high profits. However, the rise of China has made the West’s easy and profitable days no longer exist, so Western countries believe that their status is threatened-because China represents The other model and path of China are also feasible, but the West is unwilling to accept it.
"China does provide another peaceful way to rise without sacrificing others, so that everyone can work together to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results."
"We look at the Chinese people's view of contradictions. Mr. Feng Youlan has a saying that'the enemies must be reconciled and resolved.' The two sides of the contradiction are the same, but in the West,'the hatred must be the end,' that is, you must be wiped out."
Chen Shengqian believes that now and then, it does not mean that individualism is wrong, but that in today's world, a community with a shared future for mankind is more in line with the trend of the times.
(Finish)
Chen Shengqian is currently a professor and doctoral supervisor of the Department of Archaeology, Arts and Sciences, Renmin University of China, and the person in charge of the National Social Science Foundation project "Western Archaeological Theoretical Research and the Construction of Chinese Archaeological Theories". His main research directions are archaeological theory and archaeology. History of thought, analysis of stone tools, process of ruins, transition from Old to Neolithic, etc.
He is the author of "Prehistoric Modernization", "Thinking about Archaeology", "Inquiry of People", "Learning Archaeology" and so on.